Is An Exam More Important Than Helping Someone In Need?

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I met them on the way back to my home to study for an exam the next day. Jagdish came up to me and said that he needs some flour to feed his family. He offered me a balloon so that he could buy some ration from the nearby departmental store. I asked him what he needed and decided to buy it for him myself. When done with the shopping, I got to the cash register only to realize I didn’t have my wallet with me. I asked if they would accept PayTM but they only took cash or card and I had none. In that moment, I could feel what Jagdish went through everyday. Despite having money in my account, for that short period of time, I was as poor as Jagdish.

I thought about giving up because the store was about to close as well but I couldn’t tell Jagdish about what had happened. Guilt was over taking me for giving someone false hope. I had to study for the exam as well. A decision needed to be made. Fast. I chose to help the little kids. I rushed to my home and grabbed my wallet and rushed back. The store closed at 2130hrs.I made it there at 2123hrs.I got the stuff and gave it to him. There were some extra things in there too that would keep his family going for around 2 weeks. Little Sonam couldn’t stop giggling. I found out he had two other kids, Dinesh and Pooja and an elderly mother to earn for as well. He said I was blessed by God and in that moment, the atheist that I am, felt blessed.

It took all of half an hour for me but for him and his family, they got enough food to last a fortnight. I might score lesser in the exam now; the expected 70% might become 65, 60 or 50%, but would that really matter? I had put smiles on the faces of a family and food in their stomach and to me that’s more than marks in an exam.